Bun slicing machine



Feb. 14, 1950 L. SAMMY BUN SLICING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1948 jazz/i8 NZZFLW INVENTOR ATTORNEYS,

Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PAT-em "OFFICE BUN SLICING MACHINE Louis Sammy, Gary, Ind. Application February 26, 1948, Serial No.'10,989'

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a bun-slicing machine, and more particularly, has reference to a machine of this type adapted for slicing round or hamburger buns, and long or frankfurter buns.

At lunch counters, hamburger stands, or similar establishments, where large quantities of round and long buns are used inshort periods of time, speed in preparing the buns for use in making sandwiches is of great importance. Most usually, the buns are sliced by hand, and this not only takes up an excessive amount of time, but also, is highly dangerous, especially when the worker is endeavoring to work at top speed.

Machines for slicing buns of various types are known in the art. However, the problem of adjustment for the slicing of difierent types of buns has led to undue complication of these machines, to the point where the making of necessary adjustments takes up too much time, the machine is too expensive, or both.

It is an important object of the present invention, accordingly, to provide a machine of the type stated which is capable of manufacture and sale at a minimum of expense, so as to be available to practically all persons having need of the same.

It is a further important object of the invention to provide a bun-slicing machine which is capable of slicing with equal efficiency either round hamburger buns, or long frankfurter buns.

Still another important object is to provide in such a machine a means for adjusting the passage through which the buns move that will be uncomplicated, inexpensive of manufacture, and used with a maximum amount of speed for the purpose of adjusting the bun passage.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing;

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bun-slicing machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view of the machine partly in transverse section and partly in end elevation.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an insert embodied in the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, at 5 I have designated a casing, which may be of any'desired size or conformation, and can be made of any suitable material.

Within the casing, there is provided a motor mount or support 6,- to which is bolted the electric motor i receiving power from any suitable source.

Removably mounted on the motor shaft is a rotary knife 8, dis-posed adjacent and parallel to one end wall of the casing.

At one corner, the casing 5-is cut away angularly, so that there may be mounted in the cutaway portion a vertically disposed bun chute 9. In cross section, this is preferably rectangular as best shown in Figure 1, and the chute is open at both ends, so as to define an inlet at its upper end and an outlet at its lower end. During use of the machine, it would be so positioned on a table or other supporting surface, not shown, as to per mit the end thereof in which the chute is mounted to overhang the edge of said supporting surface, thus permitting a bun B to drop out of the chute onto a receiving tray, or other receptacle, not shown.

The inner end wall of the chute 9 is provided with an elongated slot ill, through which the rotary knife 8 projects. The knife, as best seen from Figure l, is parallel to and equidistant from the side walls of the chute. As shown at H, the periphery of the knife 3 is spaced a short distance from the outer end wall of the chute, this being for the purpose of leaving one side of the bun uncut, as is desirable.

Preferably, the upper end of the chute is extended above the top of the casing as at l2, thus preventing a person feeding buns into the chute from being cut by the rotating knife.

Chute 9 is normally of a proper dimension, considering the space between its respective end walls, to receive round hamburger buns, such as shown at B. As will be understood, these are fed into the upper end of the chute, and the knife, rotating at great speed, cuts them so that they are split almost entirely across, except for the uncut portion at one side previously mentioned.

he buns can be fed into the chute with great rapidity, with each bun engaging the next preceding bun, so as to prevent any tendency toward rotation of a bun being acted upon by the knife, and also to apply the necessary pressure to move it past the knife.

In the invention, there is embodied an adjustment means which adjusts the passage for long or frankfurter buns. Referring to Figure 4, I provide an insert [3 which can be conveniently formed from an elongated block of wood material square or rectangular in cross section. This block is formed with a slot I4 open at one end, so that when the block is inserted in the chute, it passes to either side of the rotary knife 8.

At its upper end, the insert has an end plate i5 which constitutes a grip or handle, and also serves as a stop. This plate can be formed conveniently from a single piece of metal material and is secured to the end of the block in any suitable manner. The plate has an end flange 16 which is down-turned, so that when the insert is positioned in the chute, the end flange will engage the inner end wall of the chute and will prevent accidental maladjustment of the insert during use. The plate can also be provided with integral side flanges l'l adapted to overlie the side walls of the chute.

By the simple expedient of positioning the insert 13 in the chute, in the manner shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, the passage is narrowed without, however, affecting space H between the edge of the knife and the outer end wall of the chute. As a result, long buns can be passed through the chute, and will be cut in exactly the same manner as the round buns.

During continued use of such a machine, it is often necessary to switch from round to long buns and back again, and the adjustment means which I have provided permits adjustment with maximum speed, merely by insertion or removal of the insert [3 as desired.

Thus, the machine meets the several objects set forth, in that it is inexpensive of manufacture, adapted for efficient operation in cutting various types of buns, adjustable swiftly and with ease, and is safe in operation.

What is claimed is:

A bun-slicing machine including a casing, a motor in the casing, a rotary knife powered by the motor, a bun chute carried by the casing, a. portion of the knife extending through one wall of the chute, the peripheral edge of the knife being spaced from the opposed wall, and an insert adapted to be positioned in the chute along the first-named wall for adjusting the bun passage defined by the chute, said insert including a block having an elongated slot for receiving the knife, and an end plate secured to one end of the block and comprising a hook for engaging one end of the chute.

LOUIS SAMMY.

REFERENCES UITED The following references are of record in the 

